The invention relates to a method for the operation of a radiator grill arrangement of a vehicle, having at least one closure flap mounted for rotation between a closed position and an open position, wherein the at least one closure flap is positioned by means of a drive unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a radiator grill arrangement for a vehicle and a vehicle having one such radiator grill arrangement.
A radiator grill arrangement for a vehicle and a method for the operation of the radiator grill arrangement are known from DE 10 2012 012 677 A1. The radiator grill arrangement comprises at least one support frame surrounding a primary air inlet, a number of closure flaps, which are mounted for rotation around a flap rotation axis between a closed position and an open position. Flap levers are moulded or formed on the closure flaps, the flap levers being operatively connected to a sliding bolt, wherein the radiator grill arrangement further comprises an actuating device for the positioning of the closure flaps. Moreover, a flap frame is provided for receiving the closure flaps, the sliding bolt and the actuating drive, wherein the flap frame is formed in two parts and is attached to the support frame of a radiator shield in a non-positive, positive and/or firmly bonded manner.
The object of the invention is to specify a method for the operation of a radiator grill arrangement of a vehicle, a radiator grill arrangement and a vehicle having one such radiator grill arrangement that is an improvement over the prior art.
A method for the operation of a radiator grill arrangement having at least one closure flap mounted for rotation between a closed position and an open position provides that the at least one closure flap is positioned by means of an actuating drive. According to the invention, the at least one closure flap is positioned by means of a drive unit into the closed position, should a trigger criterion occur, or the at least one closure flap is positioned by means of a drive unit from the closed position into the open position and immediately then back into the closed position, should a trigger criterion occur.
The at least one closure flap is positioned into the predetermined closed position, should a trigger criterion occur, whereby an opening or partial opening of the at least one closure flap, in particular when parking the car, is corrected. At the same time, the at least one closure flap is transferred to the closed position, so that a position of the closure flap can be predeterminedly adjusted, in particular with respect to a further operation of the radiator grill arrangement.
By means of the method it can be substantially excluded that an unequal flap position in the closed and/or open position resulting from tampering of the at least one closure flap on the parked car and/or from exposure to snow and/or ice occurs.
In a possible embodiment, the drive unit, at least in the closed position reached, of the at least one closure flap, is automatically moved around a predetermined angle, against a positioning direction, in order to adopt the closed position, wherein the at least one closure flap remains in the closed position.
By moving the drive unit against the positioning direction, the risk of damage to the mechanical drive components and/or the at least one closure flap are or is at least reduced because of a lasting impact of a maximum drive torque of the drive unit. That is to say, by means of the movement of the drive unit against the positioning direction, the mechanical drive components are no longer under permanent pretension, whereby the placement of thermoplastic materials under the influence of temperature is minimized, the components of the mechanical drive being formed from thermoplastic materials.
In particular, a maximum pretension in relatively highly burdened cross-sections of the mechanical drive components is reduced, whereby mechanical burdens such as vibrations for example, which result in the risk of damages, as described above, are at least reduced.
A development of the method provides that starting the engine and/or unlocking the doors of the vehicle are or is used as trigger criterion. That is to say that starting the engine and/or unlocking the door are or is the trigger criterion for the automatic positioning of the at least one closure flap.
In a further possible embodiment, a reference run of the at least one closure flap is carried out, following the positioning of the drive unit around the predetermined angle against the positioning direction. The reference run serves to review the mechanical drive components in connection with the at least one closure flap with regards to adopting the closed and the open position and, where applicable, adjusting it.
Moreover, it is provided that reaching the closed position and the open position by carrying out the reference run is detected by increasing an electric current of the drive unit. Thus, detecting an extreme position of the at least one closure flap is possible, comparatively cheaply, wherein advantageously no additional detection unit is required for determining a position, that is to say an extreme position.
Alternatively or additionally, a position of the drive unit is detected by means of at least one Hall effect sensor, which is integrated into a mechanical component of the drive unit, which can be a direct current motor.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a radiator grill arrangement of a vehicle having at least one closure flap mounted for rotation between a closed and an open position and at least one drive unit for positioning the at least one closure flap. According to the invention, the at least one drive unit positions the at least one closure flap into the closed position should a trigger criterion occur or the at least one drive unit positions the at least one closure flap from the closed position into the open position and immediately then back into the closed position, should a trigger criterion occur.
By means of the radiator grill arrangement and the positioning of the at least one closure flap into the closed position, a position of the at least one closure flap is able to be corrected, because of an opening or partial opening as a result of tampering and/or weather conditions, for example, allowing for further operation of the radiator grill arrangement.
In a possible embodiment, the drive unit, at least at the closed position reached of the at least one closure flap, is able to be moved automatically around a predetermined angle, against a positioning direction, adopting the closed position, wherein the at least one closure flap is positioned in the closed position.
Furthermore, the trigger criterion comprises starting the engine and/or unlocking the door of the vehicle. That is to say that the drive unit positions the at least one closure flap into the closed position on starting the engine and/or unlocking the door.
The invention furthermore relates to a vehicle having such a radiator grill arrangement.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in greater detail below by means of drawings.